As microelectronic components continue to shrink, the heat fluxes associated with their use have exponentially increased. Consequently, it is not uncommon for microelectronics to reach temperatures higher than 150° C. Such high temperatures can negatively impact device performance and also limit those types of devices or components that can be placed in close proximity to the heat-generating device on a microelectronic chip. For certain applications, it is therefore not only necessary to dissipate the heat but to do so in a way in which the thermal path does not affect other nearby devices.